I Was Fired for Showing Kindness — Then Came the Brooch

The bookstore was my quiet refuge—sunlight through tall windows, the scent of old paper, and a calm that made each shift feel safe. That peace broke when a teenage girl slipped inside, hoodie pulled low, backpack heavy. I watched her linger in the paperback aisle, hands shaking as she scanned titles like she was searching for something personal. Then she...